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tv   Viewpoint  Current  February 21, 2013 5:00pm-6:00pm PST

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>> cenk: all right. we're back on the "the young turks." in fact, we'll be back to do a whole other show on theyoungturks.com where we'll talk about president obama's good poll numbers. why is that? her crime might have been doing good journalism. check us out at theyoungturks.com. >> john: republicans are saying that the sequester is the worst thing obama ever thought
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of that they thought of first. democrats are demanding john boehner call congress back into session so congress can stop doing nothing this their home states and return to washington do do nothing there. 15 republican senators have written to dump hagel. they all used the same color crayon. and you know how you see a tape of you when you were drunk and embarrassing when you look at it later? that's thousand laura bush sees a tape of her speaking out in favor of marriage equality. today is the birthday of olympia snowe. something for each hemisphere of your brain.
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>> john: good evening. i'm john fuglesang. thank you so much for joining us tonight. we're now just over one week away from the automatic massive spending cuts known for some ungodly reason as sequestration. and so congress is exactly where you would expect them to be, at a pivotal time in our nation's history, on vacation. while john boehner and the g.o.p. have spent the last few days trying to place all of the blame for the situation squarely on the shoulders of president obama, it would appear the public ain't buying what they're selling. according to a new poll, if a deal is not reached by march 1st and those devastating cuts were to go into effect, only 31% say they would blame the president while 49% say they would blame congress. and probably some republicans will blame acorn. but so clearly the p.r. battle over the scwefser -- sequester is being won by team obama. but if you're one of the hundreds of americans affected by the cuts, none of the finger pointing helps you one bit.
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it is the latest between two radically ideologically opposed parties. there was one thing president obama and governor romney did agree on. which the president mentioned in last week's state of the union. >> obama: we should do what leaders in both parties have already suggested. and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well off and the well-connected. >> john: governor romney never specified which loopholes he would close, according to a new study from the congressional research study, he should have started with the historically low tax rates on capital gains and dividends. the same low rates that have allowed governor rom noy to not work for years but still earn tens of millions of dollars while paying a lower tax rate than americans who actually work for their income are a major cause of the massive and growing income inequality gap in our country which brings us back to the battle over the sequester.
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republicans are so committed to maintaining these tax benefits for the very wealthy that they are even willing to sacrifice the well-being of your entire economy to do so. joining me now is robert borosage, a contributing editor of the nation and codirector of the campaign for america's future. what a pleasure to have you on the show. welcome to "viewpoint." >> delighted to be with you. >> john: let's start with this, congress as we know is currently on vacation, again. have both sides sir resigned themselves or some last-minute deal to kick the can further down the road? >> i think you're going to see a lot of last-minute maneuvering and press release and press conferences but it looks pretty much like this sequester is going to take place. >> john: if the pew poll we just mentioned 76% say the president's combination of spending cuts and tax increases is the right approach versus 19% that want only spending cuts. so is it safe to say that no
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longer -- it doesn't really matter what the people really want? is it just about who can spin, sell their message better come election time next year? >> well, yes and it is perverse. republicans in some ways have a stake in a bad economy in 2014, they'll do better. voters tend to blame the president's party if the economy's not working. so there's a kind of irresponsibility built into that. plus they're coming from the gerrymandered districts that are very safe, republican districts for the most part so the bulk of the republican congress won't even face any serious competition in another year and feel safe to do whatever they will. what's strange though is this is -- both parties are talking about inflicting austerity cuts, on an economy that is very weak. the president gains an advantage because he wants to do what is sensible which is some combination of tax hikes on the rich and sensible spending cuts. whereas republicans are simply going after the entitlement
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programs whenever they can. but what the problem is, we need a program to get the economy moving and to get the 20 million people in need of full-time work, back to work. and if we do that, that will bring down the deficit. if instead we start making these cuts in an economy that's already losing ground in the last quarter we're likely -- we could well put this economy back into a recession. >> john: absolutely. all the more mind-boggling considering this president proposed a jobs bill in 2011 that was 60% job cuts and the g.o.p. killed it anyway. >> their pushes would to make sure he didn't get a second term but now he won that race. he came back in his state of the union and laid out another set of proposals to help put people back to work. but they aren't even on the table in this discussion. now the only discussion we're having is the discussion about what to cut and how badly to cut it. and we're going the wrong way on this. >> john: we both know lots of lovely kind, sane, intelligent
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conservative folks. it seems mind-boggling our folks in congress wouldn't want to work with the president see the economy improve and go home and brag to their voters about it but the g.o.p. is unwilling to sacrifice the tax benefits for the rich to the detriment of the economy as a whole. this is exactly what this new study from the congressional research service has found. low tax rates on cap capital gains, they ain't watching fox news. that's responsible for the widening inequality gap. don't we have a system where the rich keep on getting richer and the poor keep on getting poorer? >> it has moved to new extremes. in the first two years coming out of the depths of the recession, the top 1% captured 121% of all of the income growth. they not only captured all of the income growth, they got some of everybody else's income, too. 99% of the country lost ground on average. and you can see it. wages are going down. benefits are getting cut back.
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people are getting cuts in hours. as long as you have this kind of mass unemployment, wages won't keep up with costs. and this inequality will get worse and worse even before we get to the tax structure. >> john: we've got less than a minute left. one more thing the pew poll found is only 22% of americans consider themselves republicans while 32% are calling themselves democrats. is it now when the g.o.p. needs to be appealing to independents and not the same older and wealthier voters? >> you would think so. and there is -- the beginnings of an argument in the republican party about what the devil are we doing? it looks like we're committing suicide. but, at this point the people with the austerity bomb, the people willing to commit suicide are driving the ship over there. and it sure looks like they're about to hit this economy with a set of serious cuts that are going to cost jobs and really hurt americans as they try to get by -- meat prices are go up as meat inspectors get laid off. airline flights will get
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cancelled as air controllers get laid off. this will have effects on people across their lives. >> john: it is like theatre except theatre creates jobs. robert borosage, i hope you'll join us in the studio in new york sometime, sir. thank you for your time and insight. >> would love to do it. nice to be with you. >> john: we move now from the gap between the rich and poor to the gap between gun control advocates and those who like to say a lot of macho stuff about their cold dead hands. vice president joe biden was in connecticut earlier today. only 15 miles from the site of december's tragic shooting at sandy hook elementary. one of the highlight of his passionate gun control speech was where he discussed not the political price for acting on the issue but the price we, as a culture, pay for not acting. >> america's changed on this issue. you should all know the american people are with us. you all should know there's a moral price to be paid for inaction. >> meanwhile the nra has
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continued their assault against gun control and for that inaction. taking ads out in five states, states with incumbent democratic senators facing tough races. asking voters to call their senator and say they oppose president obama's gun control proposals. with 100 million gun owners in the country and only four million members of the nra you gotta kind of wonder how long wayne lapierrre and his organization can go on purporting to speak of the other 96 million americans. joining me now and returning to the show is virginia tech shooting survivor collin goddard who works at the brady campaign to prevent gun violence. colin, it is a pleasure to have you back. thanks for joining us again. >> great to be back. >> john: thank you. so you heard vice president biden today saying things have changed in the gun control debate. the standing assumption guns are a third rail issue is no longer the case. is he right or has the fervor for this kind of legislation cooled in the two months since newtown? >> i don't think it's cooled. still two months after newtown
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we're having this conversation right now. it is great to see the administration, on the verge of the sequester is taking time out to have town halls with average americans to talk about improvements in our gun policies so when we have -- vice president biden going to connecticut as he's been to virginia and minnesota and several other states already it is showing this administration has taken this issue seriously because they realize it affects so many of us. >> john: i thought vice president biden was effective in his online town hall yesterday talking about buying a shotgun. he really undercut the right wing argument that obama's coming for your guns. >> right. exactly. these are reasonable people. the reasonable middle ground will make it more difficult for dangerous people to get their guns. respect the second amendment rights. that's the middle ground we're coming against. that's the middle ground the nra seems to be running from. >> john: it seems you speak for the majority of the according to this pew paul, 83% of americans support background checks. 53% support a ban on
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assault-style weapons. that includes sylvester stallone. is there a sense newtown will change things? or weak legislation will pass and it won't be a serious issue until the next five or six shootings? >> as long as the american people maintain their engagement and make sure their voices are being heard directly to the members of congress, we'll see substantive change. i think we've gone a long way as a country to talk about no longer in vague terms of gun control or supporting the second amendment, things i don't quite understand but talking about the specifics like background checks and clip sizes those are real policies that when you break it down specifically, the vast majority of us support that. >> john: you would think the late president reagan's assault for the ban in 1994 would have a bit more sway among conservative voters. maybe it will. vice president biden is saying america is ready for change but senator john mccain seems to think that some action might not even be possible. you might have heard this clip already. at a town hall yesterday a
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woman whose son was killed in the aurora, colorado, movie theatre shooting asked about assault rifles. this is what senator mccain had to say. >> i can tell you right now you need some straight talk. the assault weapons ban will not pass the congress of the united states. >> john: i respect his desire to be blunt. i don't know that it had to be so belittling. the american people might be ready but is mccain right? congress isn't going to go for it? >> i know karen. i've met her. i've heard the story about alex. i admire what she did to stand up in a public venue like that and share her personal story of a loss in her family. i think more of us should do that in a public way directly to our members. that's why it made me more disappointed with senator mccain's cold response. they don't want their member to react to a constituent in that way. i hope the vast majority of arizonans remember this come election day. >> john: i was really surprised with his response. i think normally he's a more
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graceful man than that. i was disgraced by the crowd applauding shutting this woman down. it does seem like harry reid isn't going to fight for this. he's very worried about his own job in nevada. that will get background checks. we're going to let assault weapons fall by the wayside despite the fact that americans want this ban. >> if we still get to 56% of americans e-mailing and going to the town halls and rallying and marching, this is what's needed. this has been the missing piece to the change we've needed in this country. we've had people angry after mass shooting in the past. it has faded. now it is not fading. if we keep this up and maintain it we will see substantive change we've so badly needed in this country for so long. >> john: that's the history of america. really quick we're almost out of time. the nra is now campaigning against democratic incumbents to try to intimidate a vote against the president's proposals. do you think colin, the nra
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still has the political power it used to? >> i think this is vintage nra move. again now 2013 really out of line with the average american person. so the americans speak up. we have now the emergence of mark kelley and gabby giffords, the brady campaign is having incredible conversations with so many new people. this is what's going to be the force to whatever the nra does that is out of step with most of us. >> john: colin goddard of the brady campaign to prevent gun violence. thank you for caring about your fellow americans and thank you as always for being on the show. >> thanks, john. >> john: have a great night. what do we want? more unpartisan smearing of chuck hagel? 15 republican senators think we want it all the time. that's coming up next.
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>> john: time now for our thing of the day. today's thing citizenship roadblock of the day. we've already heard that a lot of republicans don't support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants but this particular republican, well, he's special. virginia congressman bob goodlatte is chair of the house judiciary committee which he bluntly told npr he won't support any law that overs citizenship to people who he said broke the law coming here. immigration reform was supposed to be the one thing this congress can do. if we believe 11 million immigrants in limbo what do we accomplish? marco rubio won't pick him as a
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running mate. if you believe it in hard enough and maybe it will come true. so seems to be the strategy of the 15 g.o.p. senators who today sent a letter to president obama requesting that he withdraw the "controversial nomination of chuck hagel for secretary of defense." of course the only reason the nomination is controversial is because they're making it into a controversy. can't have your cake and define it too. they write... >> john: yes, almost as unprecedented as filibustering a president's cabinet selection. beacon of bipartisan there. this letter marks the latest chapter in a campaign to discredit hagel that is being headley south carolina senator lindsey graham who is just doing his absolute darnest to prove he's a darn conservative so he doesn't face a darn primary from the darn tea party that pretty much darns him.
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joining us now is an expert on all things south carolina and all things g.o.p., south carolina democratic chairman dick harpootlian. it is a pleasure to have you. >> thank you for having me. >> john: delighted. let's start with your senator graham. why is lindsey graham really leading this charge against chuck hagel? surely it is not because he thinks he is going to win. he's terrified about being primaried by a tea party that can't stand him correct? >> i think that's part of it. the other is that lindsey graham is an active member of the military. he's an officer in the military. he travels to afghanistan and iraq and everywhere else he can. he considers himself a member of the armed services. so he takes particular umbrage at chuck hagel who obviously was not for the surge. he argued as a republican senator with the bush policies and so this is a two-fer for him. he gets to go after a guy he doesn't like and it does polish
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his tea party credentials. >> john: beyond leading the charge to impeople president clinton, lindsey graham unlike hagel has never seen combat, correct? >> that would be correct. >> john: what is the state of the g.o.p. in south carolina? if an elected representative shows a glimmer of moderation, are they facing a primary? >> they are. we have a very active and very aggressive tea party very conservative very, very conservative tea party effort here and so it is driven moderate the out of the republican party. that's been good for the democratic party because we believe, for instance, in the upcoming special election that the voters of the first congressional district who traditionally vote republican will elect elizabeth colbert-bush as their congresswoman instead of disgraced former governor mark sanford. >> john: i'm glad you brought that race up. i think that specific race in south carolina for my money will be the congressional race to watch in 2014.
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of course, we're talking about the first congressional district which opened up when tim scott was named senator replaced jim demint who went off to be a lobbyist. it is an interesting cast of characters running for the seat. you mentioned stephen colbert's sister but let's not forget also former governor and romantic trail hiker mark sanford. son of a liberal billionaire teddy turner jr. who is embarrassed of his daddy running as a republican. what do you make of the cast of characters running in this race? >> well, there are 15 republicans running. they range from the craziest of the crazy to the most -- i mean they really are. i said the other day that the republican primary was a lot like midget mud wrestling. we know one thing for sure, whoever the winner is going to be an intellectual mudge et covered in mud because they're just slicing and dicing each other. mark sanford of course has money. he is the best liar in a camera.
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he's got a very touching spot up in which he says he's asking for forgiveness for his sexual peccadilloes but what he doesn't mention is that he hasn't asked for the people of south carolina's forgiveness for what he did eight years as governor and that is ruining our educational system, driving jobs out of south carolina, trying to disembow anything that was in any way going to improve the quality of life for the average south carolina in the name of being a fiscal conservative. as that comes out more and more, we hope he's the nominee. if he's the nominee there is a clear difference between colbert-bush and him. if elizabeth gets the money if she can raise the funds to go toe to toe with him on tv, she'll whip him. >> john: her brother will be down there helping her raise money. since you mentioned governor sanford, i respect your take on his honesty. it almost seems ironic his
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scandal with his south american lover might actually distract from his financial mismanagement of the state. i would like to really quickly play a clip of former governor sanford's campaign commercial. i believe it is the one you just referenced. >> more recently, i've experienced how none of us go through life without mistakes. but in their wake, we can learn a lot about grace, a god of second chances and be the better for it. in that light i humbly step forward. >> john: the god of second chances. why do i wish his jilted wife would run against him to take the nomination away? what do you make of that, sir? >> again this is -- look, south carolina has a tradition. remember jim baker from ptl? >> john: of course. >> anybody evangelical person like jim bakker and now mark sanford using god as a buffer between him and his deplorable conduct, not just with the woman from argentina but as governor,
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his lack of governance and leadership and his -- with all of that, he is as bad as jim bakker was. and now he's using god? how cynical. how absolutely despicable is this guy? i would say about as despicable as they get. >> john: i'm confident the good conservative republicans of south carolina will see through this rap no matter how much money he raises. we didn't even get a chance to get to nikki haley. in ten seconds what do you think of nikki hail let's chances for seeking higher office in the years to come? >> i don't think she's going to get -- i don't think we need to worry about that. 37% approval rating to 43% approval rating. an incumbent governor in a republican state. she's toast. >> john: i love south carolina. i love the land. i love the heritage and it's
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great to talk to passionate people like you who care about the future of the state's economy. dick harpootlian i hope to have you join us in new york sometime. thank you for your insight this evening. >> thank you for having me. >> john: mohammed ali's daughter is fighting for stem cell research and rasheed da ali joins me coming up next. documentaries... on current tv.
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>> john: so this week we devoted our wtf america segment to the great state of mississippi. and the national game and wildlife commission has threatened to fine us for shooting fish in a barrel without a license so tonight we like to say something really nice about mississippi. how about the fact that one of the most important musicians of the 20th century robert johnson, came from mississippi.
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one of the founders of the mississippi delta blues which influenced the rolling stones, led zeppelin, and basically this man influenced any rock n' roll that's any good at all. he was the first great musician to die at the age of 27. now that we've said something nice, let's move on to the current wtf status. friends, the mississippi house passed house bill 958 which would let school boards create policies authorizing employees including cafeteria workers and janitors to carry concealed weapons on campus. wtf, mississippi. are janitors finding that sawdust is no longer effective for cleaning up the vomit of 8th graders? do they need to use a gun to shoot the puke away? i might also point out that an amendment that would have required those employees designated to carry a weapon to pass a psychological evaluation where they get the gun in the workplace was shot down because if you make it hard for deranged
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people to get guns, how is the nra ever going to raise money after the next massacre? i guess asking a person who lives in the great state of mississippi if there's something wrong with their mental health is kind of a dumb question. but i still can't help but ask this of all of the people of the entire state. wtf, mississippi!
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>> john: in 2013, stem cells are truly a symbol for the unlimited possibilities of modern science. the cells make up what we are. because of the remarkable cells they have the capacity of self-renew and morph into any of more than 200 types of sell in the human body, they have unlimited potential potential scientists anticipate will one day change the way we treat cancer scientists -- alzheimer's and others. this is what keeps rashida ali fighting for a cure to
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parkinson's disease. she joins us now in new york. she serves on the advisory board of a biotech company pioneering stem cell treatments and she's also the author of "i'll hold your hand so you won't fall, a child's guide to parkinson's disease." >> thanks for having me. >> john: we keep hearing new breakthroughs in this field. what's the good news? >> well, first off, there are a lot of opportunities out there. no question about that. but i've teamed up -- with an emerging scientific team that has been incredibly successful with their face one and phase two als clinical trials. they've been consistently doing well. remarkable results with the compassionate patients. results have been so favorable they've exceeded the scientist's expectations. when you look at face one and phase two, you're looking at
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safety only. but we're starting to see efficacy as well. that's usually not until phase two a. so the ministry of health which is -- the patients are being tested at the medical center in jerusalem. we talked about stem cell treatment only being available unfortunately out of the country. they're doing an incredible job. the ministry of health is like our version of the fda. so because of our fantastic results, powerful results the ministry of health has basically fast-tracked us to phase 2a which is a -- a test efficacy but it is a dose escalating trial. which means that the patients are going to get higher dosages of these treatments. and when you look at the stem cell therapy, it is basically the stem cells from the person's own bone marrow. >> john: very important distinction to make. we're not talking embryonic stem
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cells. >> they say scientifically, it is safer. you don't have to worry about the anti-rejection drugs or the side effects. it is a lot easier to administer. once that's done, it is served up with our stem cell technology. it is injected into the patient via their muscle and their spinal cord and then they're monitored three to six months after transplantation. >> john: it is amazing. we know these advances probably won't help folks who are suffering from these degenerative diseases right now right? >> not necessarily. we have compassionate patients who are now -- we have compassionate patients who are in late stages of als and we're now seeing progression that has stopped. >> john: i haven't heard that phrase before. compassionate patients. what does that mean? >> they're on their last leg of the disease. als, as you know, is one of the most tragic of the neurodegenerative diseases. we have patients once diagnosed
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they have three to five years. unfortunately, life-span is very short. compassionate patients are usually -- you have to be in a situation where you have nothing else to lose. >> john: exactly. >> we have these patients who don't have much longer to live. they're a part of our clinical trials. are given these injections. and the progression stops. >> john: it stops. >> yes. so the ministry of health is allowing us to move forward to phase 2a so that we can now give them higher dosages to see is this going to stay the way it is or is it going to stop the progression? that's why research is important. >> john: it boggle my mind that people aren't trying to make more of a buck off of this in america and patients still have to go overseas for reasons that we'll talk about in a second. you were just at a conference on this in new york. big stem cell summit here. can you tell us anything about that? >> first of all there are a lot of biotech companies that are trying to get attention. people are in need. millions of people are in need.
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it cannot only help people with als but you mentioned there are so many other neurodegenerative diseases that the stem cell therapy can help. people who have parkinson's and multiple sclerosis and alzheimer's and even people who have spinal cord injuries can benefit from these therapeutic practices. joan your dad of course suffers from parkinson's. my dad had heart disease. in 2005, my father went to thailand for an experimental joint thai israeli stem cell procedure using stem cells from his own blood. they said at the time it would give him two years max. he wound up living five years longer. i'm still amazed because of politics and it really is just politics that this treatment is still not available in the states. >> well, it is a long, hard process. the process is probably outside -- they're not as strict but brainstorm has submitted our inds, our investigative for a new drug application to the fda.
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we're actually in talks with professor brown at umass to try to start clinical trials here. we're hoping this year. but we're also kind of talking with another major powerhouse, medical community here in the united states. so once the clinical trial starts, we have some powerful people behind us. >> john: it is encouraging to know we can look forward to this changing the face of medicine in our lifetimes but of course, i have to ask how does your dad feel about the work you're doing? >> he's proud of me. if my dad could talk the way i'm talking now, i think he would be talking to you right now trying to help. he's always used his name for good causes. i think me and my brothers and sisters have all tried to emulate and do what he's taught us to do and do good things. >> john: rasheeda allee an honor to meet you and an honor to thank you for the hard work you're doing. >> that's very kind. >> john: to fight the horrible
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disease. you're taking your father's name and you're using it to help others. thank you for sharing your story. >> thank you for having me. >> john: of course. a member of the bush clan very nearly does something worthwhile and then pulls back just in time. that's coming up next. our micro-thin blades are thinner than a surgeon's scalpel to put less stress on your skin by gliding through hair. switch to fusion proglide. number one dermatologist recommended on sensitive skin. and now introducing new fusion proglide sensitive shave gel. gillette. the best a man can get.
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>> john: welcome back to "viewpoint." laura bush is in the news because she once said something compassionate about marriage equality. republicans have a problem with empathy. unless it happens to them or their circle, they can't support it. for instance cheney on gay marriage. yeah wayne true. how come dick cheney doesn't have sympathy when it comes to gun violence despite his history as an instigator of it? if you have a comment tweet us. post it on our facebook page and we'll read it and flash your name all over to our teaming throngs of millions of viewers. if you don't know what stevens was talking about fair-minded members of the 21st century were pleased to see three
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republican icons in a new commercial speaking out in favor of marriage equality. there they were in clips from various interviews. laura bush, colin powell and former vice president dick cheney. we can only wonder which of them would ask to be removed from the ad first. if you guessed laura bush, you're the unlikely winner of the office pool. the former first lady asked the respect for marriage coalition to remove her remarks which she originally said on larry king back on 2010. let's have a last look. >> none of white house want to be told we can't marry the person we love. that's why growing majority of americans believe it is time to allow marriage for gay and lesbian couples. >> when couples are committed they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has. >> john: it is disturbing not because it reminds us all that larry king used to have a tv show on five nights a week but she said it. presumably, she still believes it. she's written she believes it
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but she won't help out a group that's fighting for it. let me bring in my panel of nonexperts, three of my favorite comedians. i'm happy to welcome elon james white, managing director of this week in blackness and contributing editor to the root. comedian sue costello makes her debut of the show and deign obeidallah creator of the dean's report.com. let's begin with former first lady mrs. bush. ayei've always liked michigan. only in america would a librarian marry an illiterate. laura bush believes it. why wouldn't she let them use the image? >> they did not ask her. that's why she probably did it. >> john: does she not agree with the position? >> they didn't ask her. unless, she didn't agree to be part of that actual organization so if they use -- >> john: it is not like she's missing out on a residual check. >> i don't know the legality of
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it but if you use somebody's image as part of your campaign, it is not legal. >> i used to be a lawyer. actually michelle obama asked for her image to be removed from a peta ad in 2010 even though she agreed with the principles on it. if we're going to defend michelle obama's right to be pulled from an ad, you have to defend laura bush's right. it gets pressed for this campaign. that's more important. >> john: i think you're very right. in a very backwards way laura bush may be helping marriage equality by getting so much heat. >> but that's our culture. >> i'm going to argue she wasn't trying to help at all. i think the big thing is she doesn't want to be used as a bullet toward -- against republicans. that's what this is. when they're going for this, they're making an argument about republicans fighting marriage equality. so then boom, all of a sudden laura bush is the bullet being shot at the republican party.
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>> john: very good point. >> just because you like something, doesn't mean you want to be plastered all over it. i like sex but i don't want to be in a porno. >> she monitors images on the internet. >> john: what does laura do? again, it is great to see dick cheney whose heart has been opened on lgbt issues. colin powell was against letting gays serve. it is not just laura bush. gays also have problems with cpac. two gay republican groups will not be going to the conservative political action conference next month. go proud and the log cabin republicans were kicked out last year and nothing has changed. you know who is going? mitt romney, a guy they don't even like. they're inviting him to his first speech since election night. because insulting gays worked really well in his election. were you surprised governor romney will be making a big appearance at a crowd that
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didn't welcome him a year ago? >> this is perfect for him. this is what he's about. i think he wants to come out of his shell. i can say one good thing about cpac. they used to have islam phobes and this is the first year they've cut out people like robert spencer so the cpac has contained themselves because they want to have mainstream voters. they were pushing the party to the far right. >> john: they've got allen west. >> he's not mainstream at all. i think they're still all about their craze over there and they enjoy that but at the same time, i'm assuming the reason why they brought romney in there is because he was in fact, the presidential nominee. out of political cache we got that guy. we still matter. >> they always have to clean up. they don't want that to be the last thing. it is like your cousin who gets drunk at a party. >> john: that's a very good point. but they're hiding george w. bush away.
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you're from boston. i'm from new york. we have a lot of gays and conservatives in our life. why won't they let in gay groups? don't the republicans at this point need all of the friends they can get? >> do you really want to know my opinion? because i think they're homophobic. >> john: are they homophobic or trying to appeal to homophobic voters? >> that's one in the same. >> john: one is taking advantage of it. dick cheney is for gay marriage. he never put himself on the line. >> none of them put themselves on the line for it. >> until it's politically good for the party like in the party it is still not okay. we have to accept that. even if you're like i think -- i'm not going to mess with the party. that's what they're going to continue doing. some leader who is a real leader within the party says listen! stop being douches! we have to accept this and move forward. >> john: you guys are really
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smart which brings me to sarah palin. sarah palin will be speak at cpac. does her ex play with anyone beyond comedians? >> only at cpac. >> these are actually the panels at cpac. they actually have on here, how to learn how to stop worrying, genetically-modified food and big gulp sodas. unbelievable. senator palin is nothing -- another one is are we back on the road to surfdom. i'm not exaggerating. what's sarah palin? she's almost normal. >> john: i think she's still one of the more popular and likable people that will be speaking. >> on the left, we laugh and just like no one could take sarah palin seriously. people say i like her. she speaks the truth. we can sit here in our new york liberal bubble and say that's crazy. >> john: it is not crazy.
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even dick cheney called her out for quitting her job as alaska governor. it won't hurt one bit. roger ailes will fire her from fox news and she is still crack for viewers. >> the whole isolated community. that's the whole problem. they're so isolated. the money group. wasn't that the whole problem with the election. they didn't have any view of any other human being. they wanted to have money and win and win be greedy. so they all go to cpac and listen to each other's baloney. >> we're a little isolated. i might tour colleges, it is all liberal. sarah palin completely normal. the p text a mom they know. look at us, this idiot redneck person. >> john: you're a muslim fighting for law. we do have to go to break right now. we'll be back with our final point of the day and a scathing commentary you don't want to
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miss. >>current will let me say anything.
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>> john: welcome back to the most diverse show in america. so a quick question for my panel of the black guy the blond chick and the muslim dude, what do you think is the biggest threat to america today? elon james white? >> john fuglesang. >> john: why is that? >> white guys spewing a lot of stuff on tv always scares me. >> john: i think you're right. it scares me too. i fear me. sue costello? >> it is a threat to humanity, the way we treat each other. the way mccain spoke to that woman whose kid was killed. yes, you can have an opinion but we need to speak to each other. >> john: i agree. he's got a heart.
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>> congressman louis gohmert from texas who said the reason we can't have gun control is because the muslims -- we need our guns to defend ourselves against muslims. >> john: god bless louis gohmert for going off his meds. i was watching fox news yesterday because i'm a thinker and i happened to be watching megan kelly when i heard alarming news about the folks at al jazeera america, the people who just bought this channel. >> there is a real anti-american bias there and yet they're about to infiltrate america. >> they're expanding to eight cities, one of them being detroit, michigan. it is a large community of muslim americans where sleeper cells have been detected. >> john: megan kelly, how can someone so smart and so pretty have a show that's so stupid and so ugly? but if this little bit of tv gold illustrates something, it is why fox news is a mecca for people who hate mecca. so let's get a few things straight.
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first, the correspondent complained that petro dorals are funding this network. i love it when the people who brought us george w. bush warn us of the evils of oil money. so i could tell you about all of the petrochemical dollars fox news boss mourdock makes from his investments but i don't want to upset him because i don't feel like getting my phone hacked. i'll mention a name you don't hear often on fox. that of saudi arabian prince callal. the second largest shareholder in news corp. the number two guy at fox news and where do you think he got his money? and it's true. as contributor lisa just pointed out that there are many muslims in the state of michigan. they're not sleeper cells. they're hard-working people who came to america to escape oppression and seek a better life, even if that life includes being slapped in the face by ignorant neocons like her on fox news. so now let us move, if you will to al jazeera america. the

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